Wire-cloth reel.



No. 857.089. P-ATENTED JUNE 18. 1907.

' K. MEHAFFEY.

WIRE CLOTH REEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. KIRKHAM MnimrrnY, or Wit]iniMsPoJrr, INDIANA.

WIRE-CLOTH REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10,1906. Serial No- 334,038.

No. 857,089. Patented June 18, 1907.

To all whom it may concern: 1 is thus drawn out the wire within the holder 5 5 Be it known that I, KIRKIIAM MEIiArFnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of \Varren and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l ire-Cloth Reels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in holders for rolls of wire cloth, fabric and the like, and it consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and practical device of this character which may be used in hardware and other stores for holding and displaying wire cloth, fabric or other sheet ma terial. The above and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, are accomplished by the coilstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved wire cloth holder and reel, and Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, parts being broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate the construction.

My improved wire cloth holder and reel comprises a horizontally-(lisposed drum 1 consisting of two heads 2 united by an annularseries of tubular holders 3. The drum or reel 1 is mounted for rotation upon a horizontal shaft 4 which is here shown as formed integral with two uprights 5 projecting from a base 6; but it will be understood that the shaft 4 may be supported upon any other suitable stand or support. The tubular holders 3 for the rolls of wire cloth, fabric or the like are preferably of cylindrical form, as shown, and each has one of its ends opening through one of the heads 2, as shown in Fig. 2. This permits of the insertion of the rolls ofwire cloth, through said open ends of the holders, their free ends are gitudinally-disposed outer face of the holders. sired to cut ofl a portion of cloth in any one of the holders its end is drawn outwardly to the desired extent and measured. As the end of the cloth slots 7 formed in the When it is de and after they are inserted drum against rotation. passed outwardly through loni the roll of wire projecting unwinds, as will be readily understood. In order to prevent the free end of the roll from slipping inwardly through the slot after a piece has been cut oil", I provide upon each of the holders, preferably at the center of its slot 7, a pair of flat springs 8 which engage the opposite faces of the cloth and prevent it from slipping into the holder. In order to hold the drum or reel 1 against rotation while a piece of the wire cloth is being measured and cut from one of the rolls, I provide upon one of the heads 2 a concentrically-arranged, annular series of ratchet-teeth 9 which are adapted to be engaged by a double-tooth pawl lever 10. The latter is T-shaped and has its long arm or handle portion 11 projecting downwardly and pivoted at 12 between spaced ears 13 secured to or formed upon one of the uprights 5. The cross-portion of the T-lever 10 is flat and has its two ends bent inwardly at right angles, as shown at 14, and twisted to form two dogs or pawls 15 which are adapted to simultaneously engage the ratchet-teeth 9 at diametrically opposite points. These pawls 15 are held normally in engagement with the ratchet-teeth 9, to lock the drum or reel against rotation, by a spring 16 arranged between the end 1.1 of the lever 10 and the adjacent upright 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The rollsol wire cloth,fabric or the like are inserted through the open ends of the tubular holders 3 and their free ends are then passed outwardly through the slots 7 and between the spring dctents 8. \Vhen it is desired to cut oil' a portion of the roll or wire cloth in any one of the holders 3, the end 11 of the lever 10 is pressed inwardly to disengage the pawls 15 from. the ratchet-teeth 9. The drum or reel may then be revolved to bring the desired holder 3 within convenient reach of the operator. hen the lever 10 is released the spring 16 throws the pawls 15 into the ratchct-tccth 9 and securely locks the The free end of the wire cloth may then be drawn out of its holder and the desired length measured and then cut oil. If desired, the price per foot, yard or the like of the wire cloth or other material within each of the holders 3 may be painted, printed, or otherwise placed upon each of said holders adjacent to its slot 7.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

A device of the character described comprising a base, uprights thereon, a horizontal shaft between said uprights, a drum having heads revolubly mounted on said shaft, an annular series of ratchet teeth upon one of said heads, a T-shaped lever pivoted upon one of said uprights and having the ends of its cross portion bent at right-angles and twisted to provide pawls adapted to engage said annular series of ratchet teeth, and a spring for actuating said lever to hold said pawls in en gagement with said ratchet teeth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

KIRKHAM MEHAFFEY.

Witnesses:

CHESTER G. ROssITER, CARL A. MEHAFFEY. 

